|
Carpé Diem
By WILLIAM J
PRICE
Saluki Head Coach
Characteristic of all top
swimmers is the ability to maximize opportunity. Whether it be in training,
competition, school work or some other activity, they are able to recognize
opportunity and then make the most of it. This making the most of it
is the key to success in swimming. The way to maximize opportunity is to
acknowledge that what an individual wants from sport is important and that
what they actually get from that participation is their own responsibility.
The reward is in doing something that is very difficult and doing it well.
Coaches are faced with the
task of making something that is difficult and challenging, attractive to
young swimmers in a society that does not encourage perseverance or hard
work. The idea of a meritocracy where those who work the hardest reap the
most benefits is an artificial one in most respects; the hardest workers are
not always the best rewarded. In sport, however, the connection between
preparation and reward is clearer though not absolute. Opportunity is easier
to recognize in sport than in any other human endeavor. Swimmers have
opportunities to improve every day at practice and at every meet.
Recognizing opportunity though is one thing—taking advantage of it and
maximizing it is another.
Maximizing opportunity
makes the difference between good swims and great swims. To achieve the
"great" swims athletes should focus on progress goals rather than outcome
goals. Focusing on progress will help swimmers get the maximum from their
training opportunities. It will also help a swimmer center on what is
actually important. The great times we hope for at the end of a season are
the result of long preparation. This preparation includes training, working
on technique and getting ready mentally for high performance. Seizing the
opportunities presented at this time of the year is key in determining a
successful season from a merely mediocre one. Often swimmers focus on the
outcome of every race they swim throughout the year and get discouraged when
best times are not recorded at each meet. Best times are incidental to the
preparation process. It’s great if they happen but you can’t count on them
all the time. Best times are a result of training and in some meets best
times are "under construction." In a few weeks time swimmers in the
championship meets will get a chance to see the outcome of their seasons
work. Physical preparation combined with a willingness to seize opportunity
will lead to good performances.
Carpe Diem!
|